Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court on July 21 that the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) will be investigating the death of 25-year-old Mahendran from Asirvadhapuram near Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district.
Mahendran had died on June 13, allegedly due to police excess after being taken into custody illegally. His family members have accused Sathankulam Sub Inspector Raghuganesh and Inspector Sridhar to have caused his death. The two police officers are currently in prison and are among the main accused in the death of Thoothukudi father-son duo, Jayaraj and Bennix.
Madras High Court that heard the case filed by Mahendran’s mother Vadivu on July 8, ordered state government to respond by July 21. In her petition filed with help from Supreme Court Advocate Ramasamy and Thoothukudi advocate Jayachandran, Vadivu had alleged that sub-Inspector Raghuganesh and Inspector Sridhar were the reason behind her son’s untimely demise and sought legal action against all those responsible for his death.
Vadivu had initially hushed up her son’s death, having been threatened by the police and fearing for her own safety. Following the national attention gained by the Sathankulam incident where father and son had died on June 21 and 22, Vadivu gained some courage to file the case.
Stalin, Traders Union Head in Mahendran’s village, who has also helped Vadivu file the petition says, “There is no doubt that Mahendran died after being beaten up by the police. He was such a healthy young man. Our only request is for the CB-CID to hold investigations in a fair manner, without trying to protect those behind the crime.”
As reported earlier by The News Minute, Mahendran was picked up from his grandmother’s house in Pappankulam (Thirunelveli district) on May 20, in connection to a murder in which his elder brother was an accused. Eye-witnesses from the area have alleged that Raghuganesh began beating him up right from outside his house. Mahendran was sent back home four days later, when his elder brother surrendered himself.
For almost two weeks Mahendran suffered in silence, not revealing what happened at the station to anyone except his mother. On June 11, with deterioating health he was rushed to the Thoothukudi government Hospital where he succumbed two days later on July 13.
Read our first report here: 'Consider your son dead': Sathankulam family alleges brutal attack by SI Raghuganesh